Shortening mixer



Jam.v 25, 1927. P. MERRLL SHORTENING MIXER Filed Sept. 8, 1924 UNITEDSTATES Patented Jan. 25, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

PATTERSON I). MERRILL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

,SHORTENING MIXER.

application filed September 8, 1924. Serial No. 736,415.

The present improvements are in devices for mixing lard, butter, orother forms of so-called shortening into flour, in the making of cake,pastry and various other articles of food.

It is desirable to avoid the use of the operators hands in mixing theflour and shortening together. For one reason the most satisfactory mixcan not thereby be obtained, and the mixing by hand is unsanitary and isalso unpleasant to the operator. It is not new to provide an instrumentfor mixing the mentioned ingredients, as witness the patent to PalmerNo. 1,374,086 of April 5, 1921 and that to Geiger, No. 1,417,985 of May30, 1922.

I have discovered through my experimentation that the most satisfactorymix is obtained when the shortening and the coagulated lumps in the massare out cleanly and sharply as distinguished from mashing, and also thatthe cuttlng device be such that the possibility of adherence thereto bythe shor tening is reduced to the minimum. I have also found itdesirable to have the cutters substantially close together andsubstantially numerous in order not only to expedite the mixingoperation but to insure the desired results, which is to divide theshortening into a multitude of very small particles, and make a crumblymix as distinguished from a pasty one, or one partly crumbly and partlypasty, or one in which substantial masses of the shortening occur.

The principal objects of the present improvements are to provide adevice through the use of which the foregoing results and advantages maybe obtained, and to provide a mixer of simple, strong and durableconstruction, easy to clean after use, and easy, rapid and usuallyeffective in operation.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a bottom view of the device; Fig. 2 is a substantiallymedial sectional View, as on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a sideview of the body portion.

In my practice the body or frame 10 is a trough-like aluminum castingwhich may well be from three to four inches in length, and which maywell be from two and one- 7 half to three inches in width for ordinaryhousehold use. It may well be of larger dimensions where the mixing isdone on a larger scale. Means such as the screw 11 are provided forholding the handle 12 firmly upon the body in a medial position on theback or. normally upper part thereof as illustrated.

A plurality of lengths of relatively fine wire 13 are positioned tautacross the open bottom of the frame 10, and these wires 13 arepreferably in substantially parallel relation to. each other andsubstantially close together, and they form a series of cuttersextending substantially from end to end of the frame. In my practice Ifind that a spacing of about a quarter of'an inch to three-eights of aninch between the wires 13 is satisfactory. If the wires be too close toeach other the operation will not be as free, for in such case the wireshold the mix obj ectionably above the wires, while with the properspacing the instrument readily comes out of the mix and performs itsdesired function on both the downward and upward stroke, If the wiresare spaced fairly widely apart the instrument loses much of itsefficiency in rapidly reducing the mass to a crumbly consistency.

In my practice the wire lengths 13 are sections of a continuous wireleading from one end of the device to the other. To accomplish thisresult in a convenient and satisfactory way, while providing for theready replacement of the wire lengths if desired, I provide on each sideof the body 10 a plurality of outstanding lugs 14, the lugs on one sidebelng staggered with respect to the respective cooperating ones on theother side of the body. The tops of these lugs are rounded as indicated,and each lug is provided with a retaining recess at its top at 15adapted to hold the wire securely. The arrangement of the lugs and thewidth given them respectively insures that the wires 13 shall liestraight across and have the desired spacing from each other and bemaintained in their desired relative positions throughout all conditionsof use.

In order to secure the wire in its desired position I place the body 10in a vise with its open end upward and then draw the sides toward eachother slightly placing the body under expansive spring tension. I thensecure one end of the wire as at 16, Fig. 3, to the body, as by passingit through a small hole bored therein, and then simply draw the wireback and forth across the open bottom and around the lugs respectivelyuntil the wire lengths extend from one end of the device to the other,and then similarly fasten the other end of the wire.

- ing operation.

The Wire can be drawn by hand fairly tightly, but not as tightly as isdesirable, but upon taking the body out of the vise the side Wallsspring apart and the Wires are drawn taut.

The wire which I employ for this purpose is what is known as piano wire,which has a notably great tensile strength, and its diameter ispreferably about twenty-thousandths to twenty-twoth'ousandths of aninch. The fineness of the wire is an important feature. Being so fine,and being drawn so taut, it cuts the shortening and the coagulatedmasses cleanly and easily, and avoids the objectionable mashing whichresults in apasty sort of mix.

The frame 10 is preferably in the form shown, namely that of an invertedtrough open at its ends, the sides of which taper toward the topsufficiently on the inside to free the material within it and avoid anaccumulation of the material within the body. The sides are nicelypolished and the material comesaway readily during the mix- It isdesirable to maintain the mix cool during the operation, and its contactwith the metallic walls of the body help in that direction. Constructedin the manner shown, the body provides a strong spring member having thecapacity of holding the wires taut. Furthermore, the body consists ofrelatively large unbroken surfaces free of openings from which thematerial would be diflicultly removed. The

body is unusually strong and the construction as a whole is such as toprotect the wire lengths to a notable degree.

The instrument is used by simply moving it up and down in a containerfor the mix, turning it about from time to time in the hand to make thecuts at various angles. The devlce is readily cleaned by putting itunder the hot water faucet or by stirring it about in a bowl of hotWater.

I contemplate as being included in these improvements such variationsand departures from what is specifically illustrated and describedherein as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In ashortening mixer, the combination of a substantially U-shapedbody in cross view normally inverted, smooth interiorly and open at itsends, a handle therefor normally extending upward, and a plurality oflengths of substantially fine wire spaced apart and spanned from side toside of said body and held taut thereby.

2. A shortening mixer of the character described comprising anor1nallyinverted trough-shaped body, hand-hold means for operating thedevice, and a plurality of lengths of substantially fine wiresubstantially parallel to each other spaced substantially uniformlyshort distances apart and extending from side to side of the bodymember, held taut by spring tension in the body member, and forming aseries of cut ters extending substantially from end to end of the bodymember.

3. In a shortening mixer, the combination of a body having a handle anda pair of integral side members adapted to be put under expansive springtension, and a plurality of lengths of fine wire spaced apart side byside and held taut between and by said side members.

PATTERSON D. MERRILL.

